Forgotten Fronts: Rare Photos of German Soldiers (Part 141) _de

Hello Community,

Today, our page received another warning from this social network, which is why we’re speaking out again. We were informed that one of our posts violated the established guidelines—which, in our view, is completely untrue.

Especially because we were told that, in the context presented to us, the post would seem like a kind of praise and would show something inappropriate on the network. In reality, however, the photo in question simply shows a German soldier next to an MG-34 machine gun and some children. There is no symbolism whatsoever, nor anything that suggests the image is inappropriate. In other cases, it might be interpreted that way, but in this case, in our opinion, the social network is completely wrong.

Because of this incident, we filed an appeal. After waiting almost eight hours—a response could have come in less than 15 minutes—we were finally informed that it was an error on their side. The problem was caused by the algorithm, which had incorrectly classified our image as problematic.

In summary, we as administrators would like to inform you: Even if it may seem excessive to some, it is necessary for us to edit the images. Because even if you follow this network’s guidelines, we may still receive a warning. And please note: We have been extremely careful in publishing photos so far—and yet this network still sometimes classifies it as problematic. With this minor incident, we want to make our community aware that this social network no longer considers a photo simply a photo, but sometimes interprets it in a double sense.

We ask for your understanding if some photos are not published in their full originality.

The photo shows a German soldier on a BMW R-75 motorcycle.

The photo shows the fuselage of a Heinkel He-111 bomber flying through the village of Loye in France (1939).

The photo shows German soldiers on a BMW R12 motorcycle .

Cheng of the League of German Girls (BDM) presented flowers to officers of the Condor Legion in Hamburg on May 31, 1939 .

In the photo, German soldiers are ready to open fire with an MG-34 machine gun mounted on a BMW R-75 motorcycle .

Soldiers of the $$ buy ice cream in the warm and sunny center of Amsterdam (June 1940).

The photo shows German paratroopers on a BMW R-75 motorcycle.

In the photo, German paratroopers pose with a small baby eagle owl , presumably the mascot of their unit.

The photo shows Gerardus Mooyman , the first foreign volunteer to be awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross – this is also shown by the child pointing at the medal.

He received the award for the destruction of 13 enemy tanks at Krasny Bor . Mooyman survived the war, was arrested several times, and escaped before being sentenced to six years in prison in 1946 and released in 1949.

Later, he led a quiet life as a businessman, husband, and father. In an interview in the 1960s, he distanced himself from National Socialism and stated that he had given his Knight’s Cross to a collector.

In the photo, Colonel General Ernst Busch inspects an anti-aircraft gun position .

Two German soldiers resting in front of the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Lille (early June 1940).

Stalingrad is hell on earth, it is Verdun, the red Verdun, with new weapons.

We attack every day. If we advance 20 meters in the morning, the Russians drive us back by the afternoon.

• Letter from Corporal Walter Oppermann.

The photo shows a German machine gunner with an MG-34 machine gun on the outskirts of Stalingrad (December 22, 1942).

Army Group Don , under the command of General Erich von Manstein , launched an offensive to liberate the encircled 6th Army at Stalingrad. Despite its incomplete strength, the army group showed remarkable fighting spirit and broke through the Soviet siege network on December 20 , advancing 62 kilometers from Stalingrad.

The 4th Panzer Army under General Hermann Hoth managed to get within 35 kilometers of the city, but further advance was hardly possible.

Manstein urged General Friedrich Paulus , commander of the 6th Army, to attempt a breakout from Stalingrad. Paulus, however, hesitated, declaring that he could not retreat without a direct order from Hitler . This indecision led to the failure of Army Group Don’s rescue efforts.

In the end, Army Group Don had no choice but to retreat 100 kilometers .

The photo shows Corporal Gerhard Paul Kurt Stendke together with his wife Martha Pauline Auguste Stendke and their little daughter in a field hospital (February 28, 1943).

In the photo, Joseph Goebbels awards the Iron Cross to 16-year-old Willi Hübner in Luban, Silesia on March 9, 1945 .

Willi served as a messenger during the battle to recapture the region from the Soviet Army . He survived the war and later became a politician in the former GDR .

A staged photo of German soldiers in a trench around an MG 08 Maxim machine gun, 1916.

In the photo: Panzergrenadiers of the Waffen-SS wait for orders to begin “Operation Spring Awakening” against the Soviet army in Hungary (March 1945).

In the photo: A Tiger tank and a Zündapp motorcycle side by side, presumably during a German training mission.

In the photo: A Kriegsmarine sailor poses with an abandoned Churchill tank in Dieppe, France (1942).

In the photo: Panzergrenadiers of the 5th SS Panzer Division “Wiking” and a Panzer V in Kovel, Russia (1944).

In the photo: A German soldier in a trench with his MP40.

In the photo: A German soldier in a bunker on the north coast of France in the town of Étretat as part of the so-called “Atlantic Wall” (June 1944).

In the photo: A German soldier on the Eastern Front, with a bullet hole in his M35 helmet – presumably the target of an enemy sniper.

In the photo: Lieutenant Hans-Herbert Landry (1940).

In the photo: Not a Fokker, but a Focke-Wulf Fw 190! The pilot poses next to his aircraft, which managed to return safely despite a direct hit on the fuselage by anti-aircraft fire.

🛩️: Focke-Wulf Fw 190.